Bloom

31. devoured books

Haven

Stuffing my earphone back into my ear as it had fallen out, my eyes landed onto the tiny waves that were tossed into the lake in front of me. The breeze made my hair flung to my face so now and then, though, I didn't really mind it.

Brushing my fingers over the book I had bought at Thomas' store, I opened it and flipped to the page I had read last, a smile appearing on my face. The book made me understand a lot, the book made me understand him.

Tucking my right leg underneath my left one as I crossed them, I got comfortable and started reading again after my eyes had roamed over the empty grass- fields, daisies the only thing occupying me.

It was about social interaction, the topic interesting me quite a lot. Taking a sip of my Iced latte Macchiato, my eyes quickly scanned the sentences, wanting to drown myself into the information, only to learn more about it, about him.

"The lack of social interaction with autism may not be due to a lack of the ability to process social and emotional signals, but because some signals are too intense, compulsively paid attention to, they are processed excessively, and they are remembered with terrifying clarity and intensity. Therefore- they may try to avoid the social situation next time." I read quietly, looking up to the sky to process the given information.

I tried to find him into it, but how well did I know him? Surely, I didn't know what was going through his mind during the day, or when he would lie in bed and would go to sleep.

"They may shut completely, due to the overwhelming storm of stimulus," suddenly, I remembered the day when William gave us the opportunity to order ice cream. Zephaniah had shut off completely when it was his turn, would this be the reason of that?

It could be.

Another smile formed onto my face, realising when Zephaniah didn't make eye contact or didn't really answer me, it wasn't about the fact that he didn't want to answer me, it was because of his autism and the many things that came with it. It made me feel relieved, more confident as I didn't want to bother him in anyway, I only wanted to help.

I thought back about the day when we had jumped the trampoline, the day I got to see him from such a different side. The energy he had had was absolutely insane, who could've known the calm guy had it in him? He'd been quite open, telling me the most random stuff so now and then, dog facts too. The conversation never went deep, but it didn't have to be.

I'd heard more of his beautiful voice, even in different ways as he ended up singing sometimes once he got lost in his staring- completely forgetting I was there. He would blush once he realised he did it in front of me- of course, but I didn't mind. He was himself, anyone could tell.

Maybe, maybe, if we had more moments like those- I'd get to know him even more, something I had weirdly enough wanted to happen. I just wanted to figure him out completely, autism was fascinating. Perhaps, he was too.

I wondered what he was doing at this very moment. It was around four in the afternoon, maybe he was walking his dog. Would he read? Eating could be an option too, his flat stomach seemed to be never full. It was quite sweet.

I plucked some daisies and started to string them, making a bracelet out of it. Slipping it on my wrist, I admired it for a while, then finally took it off with a sigh.

Throwing it away, I watched it as it flew through the sky, landing with an inaudible thud. Two crows curiously landed near it, perhaps hoping it'd been food I had thrown away.

I watched them for a while, my thoughts running wildly. Tara had given me Zephaniah's number- it was an impulsive action. She had told me he thought I'd come over still when I was sick. I was sad I couldn't tell him that I wouldn't come, but who knew he thought that way?